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Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta issued a rallying cry to supporters. “Be in your seats by 7.30pm,” he commanded.

Fans inside the Emirates Stadium did not disappoint. North London Forever blared out from the sound system and after an intense week in which they’d gone unbeaten against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, the fans were very needed.

The Gunners failed to defeat ten-man Chelsea at the weekend and it was a performance that looked tired. Arsenal have enormous squad depth but injuries are already testing this crop of players. As a result, Arteta rang the changes for the visit of Brentford on Wednesday night.

Arsenal may well have secured a 2-0 victory but it was not a vintage performance. It was a display befitting of just how different the starting XI looked.

There were no Bukayo Saka or Eberechi Eze. Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke started instead. With Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba still injured, the responsibilities at the heart of the defence fell to Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie again.

Did they deliver? Well, Arsenal scored twice and kept a clean sheet, so it’s hard to argue against that.

Did Arsenal's midweek starters stake their claim?

Mosquera and Hincapie were rather patched together at the last minute when Saliba sustained a training injury late last week.

The Frenchman has now missed the last two games but for the two summer signings, this was a more composed and easier night than their showing at Stamford Bridge.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Hincapie has been brave and aggressive in both fixtures but Mosquera struggled against Chelsea, notably when it came to progressing the ball. Of course, a Brentford side missing the Premier League’s second top goalscorer in Igor Thiago for over an hour helped their cause, but if Arteta is going to be missing two of the world’s finest defenders, the stand-ins have proven they can more than do a job.

It was in attack where Arsenal perhaps struggled a bit more. While Set Piece FC seem to have become more about scoring from open play, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli didn’t do a huge amount to suggest they should be starting.

Madueke was energetic and effervescent on the right flank, performing four dribbles, two of which were successful, but he ultimately lacked end product, amassing two shots and failing to provide a key pass. Martinelli’s night was even worse. He had only one shot and completed just one dribble.

Odegaard, who stood in for Eze, was also lacking sharpness. The skipper created four key passes but lost six of his seven duels.

For Arteta, he will have been pleased with Mikel Merino, however. The Spaniard scored yet again, taking his goal tally as a centre-forward for the club to ten in 22 outings.

Arsenal have been fortunate that they can rely on their squad depth. They’ve missed Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus in recent weeks but Merino has more than stepped up.

It was the substitutes who changed the game on Wednesday too. Saka, who replaced Madueke, scored the second strike to seal all three points for the Londoners.

Yet, the goalscorers were pipped to the man of the match award by someone who’s been on the fringes of things this season.

Arsenal's man of the match against Brentford

The contributions that Saka and Merino came up with were vital but if it wasn’t for the performance of Ben White, this night would have been far more challenging.

For White, this has been a troubling last year or so of his career. Signed for a mega £50m back in 2021, he had established himself as a core member of the Arsenal side.

2021/22

37

0

2022/23

46

7

2023/24

51

9

2024/25

26

2

2025/26

8

1

He was notably described by journalist Tom Barclay as “one of the best prospects in English football” in the summer he moved from Brighton and in the early stages of his Arsenal career he lived up to that, amassing nearly 100 appearances between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Last season, however, things began to unravel. Fellow right-back Jurrien Timber was back from an ACL injury and his form since has been impeccable. In the words of the Standard’s Simon Collings, he is “the best right-back in the Premier League right now.”

What didn’t help White last season were persistent injuries that meant he was never really able to build momentum.

In 2025/26, though, he’s been available all season but has been met with stubborn resistance from Arteta to play him. He’s not the first person to find himself in this position during the Spaniard’s tenure.

Think of the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe or Oleksandr Zinchenko. While they all didn’t do a lot wrong in Arsenal colours, Arteta sought to upgrade them at the earliest opportunity available.

Zinchenko, in particular, has suffered the same fate as White has this season. When the Ukrainian signed for Arsenal from Manchester City he revolutionised the way Arsenal were able to play.

Previously, Arteta’s system saw Tierney flying forward from left-back but Zinchenko was fielded as an inverted full-back, something we now see from both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori.

During that 2022/23 campaign, Zinchenko and White were vital from their respective roles in defence. They contributed in all phases of play. The former Man City man was finally moved on in the summer, albeit only on loan to Nottingham Forest and if White wasn’t careful, he may have been heading elsewhere too.

But, he revived his career on Wednesday, given just his second start in the top-flight all campaign. The defender’s only previous start came against Manchester United on the opening weekend and since then, Timber has made the spot his own.

When Brentford came to town, White rolled back the years. The 28-year-old was phenomenal, notably providing the assist for Merino’s opener.

He took home the player of the match award and deservedly so for a display in which the England international won more duels (10) and made more tackles (6) than any other player against Brentford. He also made more clearances than any of his Arsenal colleagues (6).

Many have tried and failed to get back in Arteta’s good books. Zinchenko and Ramsdale can testify to that. However, White has showcased that he’s still very much an elite full-back and he should not be dismissed just yet.

With Mosquera having had to limp off the field in the first half with an injury, replaced at centre-half by Timber, it would not be a surprise to see White back in the starting lineup this weekend against Aston Villa. On the evidence of this performance, he is undroppable right now.

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The Arsenal target has been having a better campaign than Bukayo Saka this year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl must surely be looking forward to the January transfer window after his side were beaten 2-1 by Ferencvaros on Thursday night.

The Light Blues boss arrived after the summer transfer window, led by Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, which means that he has not had a chance to bring in any of his own players.

Rangers made 12 signings in the summer, though, and that means that they may have to part ways with a few players to make room for new signings to come through the door at Ibrox.

Players who could leave Rangers in January

Clinton Nsiala and Rabbi Matondo could be candidates to move on because they are the only two senior outfield players who have yet to play a single minute in any competition, per Transfermarkt.

If they want to play regular football in the second half of the campaign, Nsiala and Matondo may need to force their way out of Ibrox, on loan or permanently, next month.

Kieran Dowell, meanwhile, played six games under Russell Martin at the start of the season and has now been linked with a loan move to Hull, which could see him see out the rest of his Rangers contract down south.

Another player who has been linked with a move away from Ibrox in January is Djeidi Gassama. He is a reported target for Spanish side Villarreal, who are said to be ‘exploring’ the possibility of a deal for the winger next month.

Villarreal’s interest in signing the Frenchman presents the Light Blues with an intriguing dilemma ahead of the January transfer window, as they may have a big decision to make.

Why Rangers should sell Djeidi Gassama

Rangers signed the 22-year-old attacker from Sheffield Wednesday for a fee of £2.2m in the summer, and they should ruthlessly cash in on him if the Spanish team are willing to offer a decent profit on that.

The Frenchman’s performances for the Gers this season have been inconsistent, at best, and his recent displays on the pitch suggest that he should be dropped from the team.

Rangers have four more Scottish Premiership matches before the January window opens and he should not start another match for Rohl before being sold to Villarreal in January, as he has not done enough to warrant a starting berth.

Appearances

15

6

Starts

13

6

Goals

1

1

Minutes per goal

1,171

480

Key passes per game

0.9

0.7

Big chances created

1

1

Assists

1

0

As you can see in the table above, Gassama has only produced two goals in 21 appearances in the Premiership and the Europa League, despite starting almost every game, which shows that he has not been reliable in front of goal.

His dismal form in the final third in those competitions came as a bit of a surprise after he started his career at Ibrox with four goals in six matches in the Champions League qualifiers.

The 23-year-old attacker has been unable to live up to the hype that his early burst of goals created, with just two goals in all competitions since the end of the Champions League qualifiers.

Rangers Journal creator Kai Watson said that Gassama has “been a ghost” since those early weeks of the season, and it is hard to argue with that assessment when you consider his form in the Premiership and the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Mikey Moore, who has scored two goals in his last three appearances, and Findlay Curtis, who created a ‘big chance’ off the bench against Ferencvaros (Sofascore), are waiting in the wings to take his place on the left flank.

As Rangers have two other viable left-sided options, in Moore and Curtis, Rohl can afford to take Gassama out of the starting line-up for the next four matches, using him as an impact substitute instead.

This would then give the other two players a chance to prove that they have what it takes to hold down that position moving forward, allowing Rangers to ruthlessly cash in on Gassama if Villarreal come knocking in January.

Selling the French ‘ghost’ could also provide Rohl with funds to bring in his own players in other positions, depending on how much the Spaniards are willing to pay for his services.

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Rangers have been tipped to sign an attacking midfielder who would be a big upgrade on Thelo Aasgaard.

ByDan Emery 4 days ago

Therefore, placing Gassama on the bench for the next few weeks before selling him in January could be a move that is in the club’s best interests, if Villarreal’s interest is serious.

One of the targets Leeds United have for the January transfer window seems to be a new striker. Despite bringing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha in for free over the summer, they have been lacklustre in front of goal, and are now set to sign a new number nine.

Indeed, that player could be Troy Parrott. The former Tottenham Hotspur star is said to be a key target for the Whites going into the winter transfer window.

However, the 49ers will not have a clear run at his signature, with Wolverhampton Wanderers also keen on the £20m-rated star.

Indeed, the Irish international is a man in excellent goalscoring form, sparking such interest.

Why Leeds want to sign Parrott

£20m is a small fee in the current transfer market, and Parrott certainly seems like he’d be worth that sort of price. The 23-year-old has been in excellent goalscoring form this season for both his club, Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, and his country, Ireland.

For the Dutch top-flight side, the Spurs academy graduate has bagged an impressive 14 goals in 15 appearances, chipping in with a couple of assists, too. His form in the Eredivisie has been scintillating, with seven goals in eight appearances.

However, what has really stood out of late is Parrott’s form for Ireland.

He became a national hero earlier in the month, bagging five times in just two World Cup qualifiers to help guide his side to the playoffs and keep their dream of going Stateside next summer well and truly alive.

The 33-cap Ireland star kicked off November’s qualifiers by scoring twice to sink Portugal in a 2-0 win. Next up was a game against Hungary, in which the centre-forward bagged a remarkable hat-trick, scoring the third in stoppage time, to secure a 3-2 win and a playoff spot.

To fund the signing of Ireland’s striker, though, Leeds might first have to sell one of their highest earners.

The player Leeds must now sell

After a summer of heavy spending under the new 49ers regime, there is no saying just how much Leeds will have at their disposal in January.

The reported £20m fee for Parrott isn’t too expensive in the grand scheme of things, but who knows how much the Whites have left in the bank?

Thus, it might be the case that Jack Harrison has to depart the club in January. He has not been in good form this season after returning to the club following two years on loan at Everton, and isn’t necessarily loved by the fans. They even booed him in a preseason friendly upon his return.

Indeed, Harrison has not been the most trusted lieutenant this season under Daniel Farke. He’s played ten times in the Premier League, but has only started once and has racked up just 262 minutes.

Whilst the Stoke-born winger has yet to bag this term, he has scored 34 times and assisted 32 for Leeds across his career.

Perhaps the highlight of that was a hat-trick away to West Ham United back in 2022. However, he simply can’t reach that sort of form nowadays.

As for his time as an Everton player, those were a forgettable couple of seasons. The former Middlesbrough star played 73 games for the Toffees, but could only muster nine goals and assists.

Premier League legend Gary Neville said at the end of last season that his “quality’s been poor” for the Merseysiders.

It is easy to see why Harrison might be the fall guy for Leeds if they are to sell someone. Valued at £10.5m by Transfermarkt, he is also the second-highest earner at the club, on £90k per week, a yearly total of £4.68m.

Leeds top 5 highest earners
Player	Weekly wage	Yearly wage
Dominic Calvert-Lewin	£100k	£5.2m
Jack Harrison	£90k	£4.68m
Sean Longstaff	£80k	£4.16m
Daniel James	£75k	£3.9m
Noah Okafor	£72.5k	£3.77m
Information via Football Fancast

Selling Harrison this winter could help Leeds raise the funds they need to add to their squad up front. Depth on the left wing is not necessarily an issue, with Noah Okafor and Wilfried Gnonto both fighting it out for a starting spot out there.

If Leeds can help themselves sign Parrott by selling Harrison, a player who hasn’t exactly set the world alight with his form this term, then it might be an excellent piece of business.

He's a lot like Bielsa: Leeds could sack Farke for "special" 4-2-3-1 manager

Leeds United could finally dismiss Daniel Farke and replace him with their next Marcelo Bielsa.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 24, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Tiago Nunes vive seu momento de maior pressão no Botafogo. O clube está em situação delicada no Campeonato Carioca, e a polêmica declaração após derrota no clássico contra o Vasco deixou o clima mais pesado para a partida desta quarta-feira (21), contra o Auroras-BOL, pela segunda fase da Libertadores.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasNotíciasCarioca: como foram os últimos jogos entre Audax e Botafogo?Notícias24/02/2024DicasAudax x Botafogo: estatísticas e informações para apostar no jogo do CariocaDicas23/02/2024NotíciasNúmeros e estatísticas das participações do Botafogo na LibertadoresNotícias21/02/2024

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A SAF do Botafogo não cogita demitir Tiago Nunes neste momento da temporada, mas cobra melhora tanto nos resultados quanto no desempenho. Assim, uma eliminação precoce na competição continental pode mudar o pensamento de John Textor.

Caso elimine o Auroras, o Botafogo ainda precisaria superar o vencedor de RB Bragantino e Águilas Douradas para alcançar a fase de grupos da Libertadores, principal objetivo do clube para 2024.

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➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

Para o jogo desta quarta-feira, Tiago Nunes não poderá contar Luiz Henrique, principal reforço para a temporada. O atacante sofreu uma lesão na panturrilha e não tem previsão de retorno. Assim, o treinador deverá mandar a campo uma escalação com jogadores mais experientes: Gatito; Damián Suárez, Lucas Halter, Barboza e Hugo; Marlon Freitas, Tchê Tchê e Eduardo; Savarino, Victor Sá e Tiquinho Soares.

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BotafogoTiago Nunes

Major League Baseball could never admit it but they would be bad business people if they weren't rooting for a New York Yankees-Los Angeles Dodgers World Series. The C-Suites at FOX were certainly not crushed when chips landed that way. No one can blame anyone for reaping the occasional dream matchup.

The part about this renewal of ancient October hostilities that gets a bit annoying is when people who have nothing to gain and don't particularly care about baseball act like every team in flyover country is an afterthought. And I'll be honest, my first impulse was to push back against this perceived coastal elitism and resist embracing Yankees-Dodgers with open arms.

It was helpful, then, to hear the message delivered by Jeff Passan on Ryen Russillo's latest podcast (12:20 mark).

"I've been waiting my whole life for this," ESPN's baseball insider said. "And this coming from somebody who grew up in Cleveland, who lives in Kansas City, who appreciates the plight of small markets. Who understands that baseball is not like basketball or football or hockey in that there is a gap among all of these teams and sometimes not just like a regular gap, sometimes two or three standard deviation gap when it comes to payroll. I think I'm supposed to be the person who looks at this World Series and says f— that, I don't want to see that, this says everything that's wrong about baseball. But to me it's just the opposite of that. This is everything that can be right about sports. Behemoths don't equal bad. Large markets don't equal problematic for someone who desires a level-playing field for some of the smaller-market teams. What I love is good baseball and stars being put in position to do things that we're going to talk about for years down the road."

Like Stefon describing the hottest New York City club, this World Series really does have everything. The biggest markets. Cash falling out of pockets. East Coast vs. West Coast. The largest player to ever play the game and perhaps the best. It's Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani but it's so much more. What American is giving up in the plucky underdog department they are gaining 10-fold in legacy and, most importantly, the highest-quality baseball on the planet.

If Passan can stop wearing his heartland on this sleeve and embrace it with open arms then everyone else who feels some type of way about the World Series can as well.

Australia suffered a dramatic collapse of 7 for 68 under the new Sabina Park floodlights as West Indies’ quicks enjoyed the conditions with Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and Justin Greaves sharing all ten before Mitchell Starc struck back with an early inroad in his 100th Test.Starc, who had earlier collected a duck, went close on numerous occasions before removing debutant Kevlon Anderson, who inside-edged onto the stumps attempting a drive. West Indies had been forced into a makeshift opening pair of Anderson and Brandon King after Mikyle Louis, who had been recalled in place of the struggling Kraigg Brathwaite the match after he reached 100 Tests, and John Campbell picked up injuries in the field.Losing just one wicket in 45 minutes against this Australia attack with a pink ball under lights could be considered a success with King and Roston Chase doing well to see out the day. As has been the case in the first two Tests, the value of Australia’s total will only really be clear once West Indies’ innings develops.Related

• Pink-ball theatre: Unplayable deliveries, unbelievable catches and T20 batting in Test cricket

Australia were handily placed on 129 for 2 shortly before the dinner break with Cameron Green and Steven Smith well set, but Green fell to a wonderful delivery from Seales shortly before the break and then things started to happen quickly in the final session. Shamar Joseph removed Smith and Beau Webster while Travis Head fell to a stunning catch by substitute Anderson Phillip.Seales, Shamar Joseph and Greaves carried West Indies’ bowling after Alzarri Joseph was forced to leave the field due to back problems and was sent for scans. Meanwhile, Louis injured his knee when it was jarred in the outfield and Campbell took a blow in the chest at short leg.Substitute Anderson Phillip pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss Travis Head•Associated Press

The day had significant intrigue before a ball was bowled when it was confirmed that Australia had omitted Nathan Lyon for the first time where he was available for a Test since 2013 as they went with an all-pace attack. West Indies, meanwhile, thought conditions warranted recalling their specialist spinner Jomel Warrican. There was purchase for both West Indies’ spinners but considerable assistance for quicks throughout on a well-grassed surface, with life very difficult as day turned to night.The tempo of the early exchanges belied what would come later. Sam Konstas, who was dropped on 1, and Usman Khawaja battled through the first hour for 21 runs and went on to compile the longest opening stand of the series. By lunch, Australia were 50 for 1, having struck just four boundaries, although a sluggish outfield was partly to blame for that.Konstas was given a life when debutant Anderson spilled a chance at third slip in the fifth over and was skittish in his running early on, twice being at risk of being dismissed had there been direct hits. Having done some hard work against the new ball, he was trapped lbw by Greaves to leave him one innings in the series to make a mark.West Indies thought they had Green before the interval when Seales won an appeal lbw, but Green reviewed with a second to spare and the ball was sliding past leg stump. Aside from that moment, Green built on the positive work of the second innings in Grenada and, after tea, unfurled a couple of crisp drives.Khawaja had absorbed a lot of pressure and good deliveries before falling to a stunning catch by Shai Hope as he edged Shamar Joseph from around the wicket.Australia left out a fit Nathan Lyon for the first time since 2013•Associated Press

Smith was quickly out of the blocks, pulling his first boundary powerfully through midwicket, and took three more in a row off Greaves before being given a life on 24 when Warrican couldn’t cling on to a stinging return catch. With Alzarri Joseph off the field, Chase had to juggle his pace bowlers and resorted to twin spin of himself and Warrican for a period in the middle session.Shortly before dinner, Seales, who has been outstanding through the series, produced a wonderful delivery which straightened to Green to clip the top of the bails – replays showed that if the ball hadn’t deviated, it would have hit the middle of the bat.When Smith and Head resumed under the glare of the floodlights, it was clear that batting would be tough and that the batters weren’t going to hang around. Smith was beaten by the first ball of the session and then edged wide of the slips before being distracted by the clock at the Courtney Walsh End, which needed covering with a black cloth.Smith slashed an edge over the cordon against Shamar Joseph before a repeat was well caught by King at first slip. There was no repair act from Webster this time as he edged behind.Head hadn’t hit top gear as he initially tried to repel the bowling, but then attempted to launch Greaves over the off side and was spectacularly held by Phillips, running to his right of mid-off and flying horizontally to hold the catch.Bat-throwing time had clearly been declared. Alex Carey had already lofted a six over mid-off against Greaves and then edged behind. Pat Cummins launched three sixes as he flung the bat at nearly everything before picking out long-on. Shamar Joseph took his series tally to 17 wickets when he removed Josh Hazlewood.

Juventus are in advanced talks with ex-Italy and Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti to replace Igor Tudor, who was sacked after a dismal run of results. The Bianconeri view Spalletti as the ideal figure to lead their rebuild, with negotiations already underway following the club’s decision to appoint Massimo Brambilla as interim boss.

• Juventus move swiftly after Tudor dismissal

  Juventus have wasted no time in identifying a successor following the sacking of Igor Tudor on Monday. The Croatian's reign came to an abrupt end after an eight-game winless run culminated in a 1-0 defeat to Lazio, leaving the club’s leadership with little choice but to act. Tudor, who replaced Thiago Motta in March, had initially secured Champions League qualification and earned a contract extension until 2028, but his side’s poor start to the new season proved costly.

  Massimo Brambilla, coach of Juve’s Next Gen side, will take charge on an interim basis for the Serie A midweek clash against Udinese. However, the club are determined to secure a long-term solution quickly, and all signs point to Spalletti emerging as the frontrunner to take the job.

  According to , the former Napoli and Italy boss is understood to be open to returning to club management after stepping down from the national team earlier this year. With his proven track record in Italian football and tactical pedigree, Spalletti’s profile fits Juventus’ desire to rebuild stability and identity after years of managerial turnover.

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  Spalletti emerges as Juventus’ top target

  According to reports, the Bianconeri have already made initial contact with Spalletti’s camp. Talks have reportedly begun through an intermediary, with the club receiving positive feedback from the 66-year-old, who is said to be “open and enthusiastic” about the idea of taking over in Turin. Juve have proposed an initial six-month contract with an option to extend, potentially linked to Champions League qualification. Spalletti, meanwhile, is believed to prefer a longer deal of around 18 months but remains flexible as discussions continue.

  Having guided Napoli to their first Scudetto in over three decades during the 2022-23 season, Spalletti’s reputation as one of Serie A’s most tactically astute managers remains strong. His work with younger players and attacking philosophy align with Juventus’ recent attempts to refresh their squad under sporting director Damien Comolli.

  Spalletti’s experience with Roma, Inter, and Napoli adds weight to his candidacy, while his brief but turbulent spell with the national team ending after Italy’s early Euro 2024 exit means he is eager to prove himself once more at club level.

• Juventus’ managerial shortlist: Mancini, De Rossi, Xavi and more

  While the former Azzurri manager remains the leading candidate, the Old Lady are also exploring several alternatives as they evaluate both sporting and financial options. Roberto Mancini, another high-profile Italian coach and former Italy boss, is one of the names on the club’s radar. Although currently out of work, Mancini’s salary demands and recent departure from Italy’s national setup could complicate negotiations.

  Another potential candidate is Raffaele Palladino, a former Juventus player and free agent following his spell at Fiorentina. The 41-year-old has been endorsed by sporting consultant Francesco Modesto, who previously worked with him at Monza. Palladino would represent a more financially sustainable choice compared to Spalletti, especially with the club still paying off Thiago Motta’s contract, which runs until 2027.

  According to , the Serie A giants are also keeping tabs on Daniele De Rossi, Xavi Hernandez and Edin Terzic as part of a broader contingency plan. However, sources close to the club insist that Spalletti remains the clear favourite, with talks described as “progressing positively.”

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• AFP
  

  Spalletti appointment could be sealed soon

  Juventus’ immediate focus will be on steadying results under interim boss Brambilla while negotiations with Spalletti advance behind the scenes. The Bianconeri face Udinese in midweek before taking on Cremonese in Serie A and Sporting CP in the Champions League – two crucial fixtures that could shape the timing of the new coach’s arrival.

  The club’s hierarchy are pushing for a swift agreement, ideally finalising Spalletti’s appointment before the big clash against Sporting. Talks are said to be progressing positively, with both sides eager to reach common ground on contract terms and duration.

  For Juve, the move would mark the beginning of yet another rebuild but one guided by a proven Serie A winner whose tactical acumen and leadership could reignite their domestic and continental ambitions. For Spalletti, it represents a chance at redemption and a return to the elite stage after a challenging summer with Italy.

Poland coach Jan Urban has expressed his surprise at Barcelona's anger after star forward Robert Lewandowski picked up an injury on international duty. The Polish striker is now set to miss the crucial La Liga Clasico against arch rivals Real Madrid, but the national team boss insists they would never have risked the health of their "big star" at any cost.

Urban hits back at Barcelona

Urban has hit back at suggestions his staff were negligent with Lewandowski after the striker sustained an injury on international duty that is set to rule him out of Barcelona's most awaited clash with Madrid. The forward suffered a torn hamstring in his right thigh in the World Cup qualifying match against Lithuania and will be sidelined for around a month. The injury has caused frustration at Barcelona, where there was reportedly unhappiness that Lewandowski completed the full 90 minutes after feeling the initial setback.

AdvertisementAFPPoland coach surprised by injury severity

Speaking on , Urban expressed his bewilderment at both the injury's severity and the criticism levelled at his staff. He insisted the player gave no indication that the issue was serious enough to warrant a substitution.

"I'm the first to be surprised to be out for four weeks with a torn muscle," Urban stated. "We've all seen players who pull a muscle and with a torn muscle, it's impossible to continue. He said at half-time that he'd noticed something, but nothing more. If it had been more, he would have raised his hand and we would have substituted him, and there was even a player warming up. For us, Robert is a very important player. Three days before, we played a friendly, and knowing that we had to take care of him, he didn't play.”

'We would never risk Robert's health' – Urban

The Poland boss was adamant that his team had acted in the player's best interests, highlighting Lewandowski's importance to the national side ahead of two crucial matches in November. He also confirmed that he has not been in contact with anyone at the Catalan club regarding the matter.

"I haven't spoken to Barca because there's no need. I think Robert isn't that injured; with a torn muscle, he would have stopped," Urban said. "The Polish national team has taken very good care of Robert because we need him. We have two matches in November, and he's our big star. We would never risk Robert's health."

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Barcelona's mounting injury problems

Lewandowski's absence deals a significant blow to Barcelona, who are already contending with a number of key injuries. The 37-year-old, who has scored four goals in nine appearances this season, joins a treatment list that includes long-term absentees Gavi and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, as well as Dani Olmo and Joan Garcia. There is some positive news, however, with reportingthat Raphinha should be fit for the Clasico, while Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez have returned to training.

Liverpool’s worrying slump continued with a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, their third consecutive loss in all competitions. Alexander Isak, who assisted the Reds’ only goal at Stamford Bridge, admitted it was “the worst” way to lose but insisted belief remains strong within Arne Slot’s side as they enter the international break under mounting pressure.

Liverpool suffered third straight defeat on Saturday

Liverpool suffered another heartbreaking defeat as Chelsea’s Estevao struck deep into stoppage time to snatch victory at Stamford Bridge. The Reds had fought back through Cody Gakpo after falling behind but were undone once again in the dying seconds. It marked their third straight loss following setbacks against Crystal Palace and Galatasaray; however, new signing Isak has claimed that the Merseyside club have "belief" that they will bounce back soon.

AdvertisementAFPIsak has 'belief' that Liverpool will bounce back

Isak admitted Liverpool were far from their best but backed his team-mates to respond. “I think we started off pretty bad,” he said. “In the end it's obviously tough conceding in the last minute like that. In the same way that winning like this is the best feeling, I think it's the worst to lose in this type of way. We just have to keep working hard, bounce back and get back to winning ways. I think the belief is there that we can. This team has shown many times. It’s never easy of course but hard work and working on details and getting back to our best — we have that belief.”

Isak gets first goal involvement in his second PL start

The Swedish forward was handed just his second Premier League start since joining Liverpool and provided the assist for Gakpo’s equaliser. Isak is steadily finding rhythm after a dramatic pre-season at former club Newcastle United. His growing involvement offers Slot another attacking option as the Reds seek consistency in the final third.

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Getty Images SportLiverpool enter the international break needing a reset

Liverpool will hope the international break offers a much-needed reset after a bruising run of results. Slot’s side have slipped off the top spot in the Premier League and will need a strong response when domestic action resumes. All eyes will be on how the Reds regroup mentally and physically to reignite their title challenge.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has now personally made a move for a “sensational” attacking midfielder, who could be brought in as an alternative to Eberechi Eze, according to a report.

Tottenham eyeing Eze alternatives following Arsenal hijack

In what is a major blow, Tottenham have missed out on Eze, with the 27-year-old opting to join bitter rivals Arsenal instead, and Mikel Arteta has since confirmed he always wanted to move to the Emirates Stadium.

When asked about the rumours Eze had phoned him directly, Arteta said: “That shows you how much he wanted to come. It’s very different sometimes because you want to be very open and transparent with the players as they have to make decisions in their careers but I’m delighted to have him. I can tell how much it means to him and his whole family.”

It is a bitter pill to swallow for Spurs, but with just over one week remaining in the transfer window, they will have to move onto alternative targets swiftly, and there is no shortage of potential options on the shortlist.

Player	Current club	League G/A in 24/25
Kang-in Lee	PSG	12
Nico Paz	Como	15
Xavi Simons	RB Leipzig	17
Bilal El Khannouss	Leicester City	5

There has now been a new update on Tottenham’s pursuit of El Khannouss, with a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness) revealing Levy has personally made a move for the attacking midfielder, who is also being targeted by Crystal Palace.

The Moroccan is being targeted as an alternative to Eze, with Palace also looking to sign him as a replacement for the England international, and the Eagles have already reached an agreement in principle with the 21-year-old.

Oliver Glasner’s side remain in discussions over a deal which is expected to amount to around €35m (£30m), so a deal would not break the bank for Spurs.

Tottenham hold talks to sign £40m+ UCL winner who Son called "incredible"

The Lilywhites are scrambling to attempt a late move.

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By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 24, 2025

El Khannouss could be "sensational" signing for Spurs

Lauded as “sensational” by scout Ben Mattinson, the Leicester attacker has gotten off to a fantastic start to the new season, picking up two assists in two Championship games, while former manager Ruud van Nistelrooy believes he is destined to play at the top level.

Van Nistelrooy said: “I think you’re going to see a lot more of him with his age and profile. His potential is there to be a top player in the Champions League. He can go a long way.”

That said, it would be a gamble to sign the Belgium-born midfielder, given that he is yet to establish himself at the highest level, amassing five contributions in the Premier League last season, which indicates the starlet is clearly not at Eze’s level currently.

As such, it may be a wise idea for Tottenham to bring in a ready-made Eze alternative alongside El Khannouss, but he clearly has the potential to be a long-term success in north London.